Project Summary: Since its inception, the Monell Center has enjoyed a successful multi-level interdisciplinary training program in the chemical senses which consists of education, training and research by high school and undergraduate students, pre- and postdoctoral trainees and fellows and visiting scientists. This application requests funds to defray costs of the postdoctoral components only. Fellows are accepted into the Program from various disciplines to be cross-trained under the supervision of preceptors. The immediate goal of the Program is to familiarize young scientists (we seek support for 2 level-0, 2 level 1 and 1 level-2 fellows) with the results of previous and on-going investigations and to provide an environment that is conducive to fruitful independent research. The long-term goal is to provide a pool of well-trained scientists who are capable of maintaining a course of fundamental research in the chemical senses or who can utilize their training in applied and/or clinical settings. Relevance: In the Training Program, irrespective of previous background, fellows are exposed to the many disciplines found within the Center, from molecular genetics to whole organism research with animals and human behavior. Currently there are 23 faculty members employing these myriad experimental approaches in their quests for further understanding of chemosensory systems and their impact on daily lives. This is done at the vary basic level, in clinical settings via access to patients in the Monell-Jefferson Chemosensory Clinical Research Center, through the use mammalian models of chemosensory function and dysfunction, and via in vitro test systems.